Hat and scarf combination and method of wearing same

ABSTRACT

An improved hat and scarf combination garment and method of wearing the same, is provided. The garment is essentially a piece of fabric that is doubled-over onto itself, with the two long ends of the fabric being connected together. With this construction a tubular opening is created, running through the entire length of the doubled-over fabric. The length of the garment is long enough to accommodate receipt over a person&#39;s head by one end of the tubular garment, yet leaving enough length of the garment to then be able to be wrapped around, at least once, the person&#39;s lower head and/or neck area, in a standard scarf manner. Another embodiment of the hat and scarf combination garment and method of wearing the same has a pair of hat members located at the opposite ends of the garment, and a “solid” type fabric member running therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to the clothing field, and more particularly, to a scarf that is able to be used as a hat and a scarf combination, along with a method of so using the item.

[0002] Clearly, hats and scarves and old in the art. To some degree, it is also old in the art to have a hat and a scarf working in combination, to form and be used as a single garment.

[0003] Such earlier hat and scarf combinations consisted primarily of standard looking hat elements having extending at the back thereof two separate long flowing pieces of fabric, which long flowing pieces of fabric could then be used as a scarf, and thereby wrapped around the hat wearer's neck and/or lower face. The hat elements of these earlier hat and scarf combinations, could be in the shape of standard knit caps (like the shape of a baseball cap), or fancier fur hats. In any event, the ultimate design feature of the scarf element was the same for all of these prior art hat/scarf combinations; two pieces of fabric extending downward from opposite sides of the back of the hat.

[0004] Another type of prior art hat/scarf combination were of the “hooded scarf” construction. With these types of prior art constructions, a scarf would have extending therethrough, somewhere in the middle of the length of fabric, an opening for receipt of a person's head. Once the head was inserted through the opening, extra fabric extending up from the scarf, would then extend over the person's head to be worn in the manner of a hood.

[0005] Yet other types of prior art hat/scarf combinations are those in the form of a tubular piece of fabric having an opening extending the length of the fabric and all the way through the middle of the fabric. A person would gather up the entire fabric and insert his/her head through the entire tube of the fabric (as with putting on a shirt), from one end through to the other. Thereafter, the face of the wearer would protrude from the interior of the tubular portion at one end, with the fabric of the tubular member being draped around the back of the person's head leaving an oval shaped opening (extending under the person's chin) through which the face of the person extended. The remainder of the tubular fabric would, by necessity, be scrunched up on the person's shoulders, covering his/her neck. These items are more similar to a bodiless and sleeveless turtleneck having a head covering element, as they cannot be extended in any direction, but simply sit bunched up around the person's shoulders and under the person's chin.

[0006] As to the manners of wearing these prior art items, the hat/scarf combination having the “standard-looking” hat elements, were worn by first placing the hat element on top of the person's head, and then individually wrapping and/or tying the two downwardly extending “scarf” elements around the person's neck and/or lower face; as one would with a regular scarf.

[0007] Regarding the method of wearing the prior art “hooded scarf” combination, the first step was to insert one's head through the hood opening in the middle of the scarf, adjust the hood around the person's head and then wrap the scarf elements (here again there are two), around the neck and/or lower face of the person.

[0008] Finally, regarding the tubular fabric hat/scarf combinations, the first step to wear the items was the total scrunching of the garment in a person's two hands to open the continuously running, central opening, for receipt therethrough of the person's entire head. The next step was adjusting the person's head within the opening so that it acted as a hood around the person's head. Thereafter, there was really little to do, as the garment simply stayed on top of the person's shoulders.

[0009] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hat and scarf combination garment which does not have the standard form of a hat and two long flowing pieces of fabric hanging therefrom, or is not in the nature of a “hooded scarf”, or is not such that a person has to fit an entire tube of fabric over their head, simply to leave most of the fabric of the garment bunched on top of their shoulders in an uncomfortable and disadvantageous position. Instead, it would be desirable that the hat and scarf combination garment would be very similar in looks and size to a standard scarf, but made in a tubular type fashion (similar to the earlier discussed prior art tubular items), but being able to be worn by placing the opening located at one of the tubular ends over the top of a person's head, as a hat would be worn, and then wrapping the remaining single fabric length portion of the item in a scarf-like manner around the person's lower head, ears and neck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In accordance with the invention, an improved hat and scarf combination garment and method of wearing the same, is provided. The garment is essentially a piece of fabric that is doubled-over onto itself, with the two long ends of the fabric being connected together. With this construction a tubular opening is rendered throughout the entire interior of the doubled-over fabric, along the length of the garment. The length of the garment is long enough to accommodate receipt over the top of a person's head (like a regular hat) by one end of the tubular garment, yet leaving enough length of the garment to then be able to be wrapped around, at least once, the person's lower head and neck area, in a standard scarf manner.

[0011] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved hat and scarf combination garment, and an improved method of wearing the same.

[0012] Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved hat and scarf combination garment in the form of a long tubular piece of fabric, one end of which is worn on top of a person's head like a hat, leaving the remaining portion of the length of fabric to extend downwards from the person's head to then be wrapped around the person's lower face and neck areas, in a scarf type manner.

[0013] Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved hat and scarf combination garment having a securing mechanism to hold the garment around the wearer's neck.

[0014] Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following description.

[0015] The invention accordingly comprises an assembled construction and method of wearing possessing the features, properties, relation of components and steps which will be exemplified in the products and methods hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a person's head just before placing the hat and scarf combination garment onto his/her head to be worn like a hat;

[0020]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the person of FIG. 3, this time having a first end of the combination garment pulled down over the top of his/her head in the manner of a hat, with the remaining portion of the garment wrapped around his/her lower face and neck as a scarf; and

[0021]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Referring first to FIG. 1, the tubular shaped construction of the hat and scarf combination garment is shown at 10. Here, a fabric 20 is seen to be connected together along its length defining edges 22 and 24, in order to form the tubular member 10.

[0023] Tubular member 10 has a tubular opening 30 extending for the entire length L of member 10, from a first end 32 to a second end 34. It is also seen that ends 32 and 34 have larger cross-sectional diameters then through a middle portion 36 of member 10. Ends 32 and 34 are larger in diameter than middle portion 36, so that either end opening 37 or 38 may be worn over the top of a user's head (as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4). It is these end areas that are used as the hat portion of the hat and scarf combination garment, while it is the middle portion 36 and the end 37 or 38 not used as the hat portion, that act primarily as the scarf portion of member 10.

[0024] Continuing with FIG. 1, attention is directed to the hook and loop connectors 40 and 42. As will be further seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, once upon the person's head, and after wrapping of the scarf element (as described in more detail below), hook 40 is secured to loop 42 so as to help prevent the end not worn over the person's head (end 32 of FIGS. 3 and 4), from loosely flapping or becoming un-wound from the person's neck. It makes no difference whether end 32 or 34 is worn on the person's head, as a hook and loop connection assembly as described herein, will function in either orientation.

[0025] Turning to FIG. 2, one sees fabric 20 in its flat, pre-tubularly stitched form of FIG. 1. Also shown in FIG. 2 are the length defining edges 22 and 24, upon which garment 10 is connected together to form the tubular opening 30. Also shown in FIG. 2 are shorter edges 26 and 28, which extend between edges 22 and 24. It is to be understood that any known manner of connecting edges 22 and 24, are anticipated herein.

[0026] Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, one sees that both openings 37 and 38 are sized to fit over the top of a person's head, and possibly down to and around the person's ears, but are not meant to extend all the way down around the lower back of the person's head. It is the portion 36 of the device that extends downward from the upper part placed over the top of the person's head that is meant to wrap around the person's lower face and neck, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0027] In operation, the inventive method of using garment 10, starts by pulling one of the openings 37 or 38 down, over the top of the person's head, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this way, garment 10 is worn like a regular wool hat. Once on the wearer's head, opening 37 or 38 can be pulled down to cover all of, or only a top portion of, the ears of the wearer.

[0028] After garment 10 is in position on the wearer's head, middle portion 36, and end 32 (or end 34 if opening 38 has been placed over the wearer's head), is then pulled down behind the person's head, and then forward around the upper shoulders, neck and/or lower face of the person, in a scarf-type wrapping manner.

[0029] Finally, hook 40 is inserted into loop 42 to secure end 32 (or end 34, as the case my be), from flapping around or unwinding from around the person's neck.

[0030] Directing attention now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the subject invention is disclosed at 100. In this embodiment of the invention, instead of there being a continuously running tubular opening throughout the entire length L of garment 100, two separate “hat” members 137 and 138 are formed at the ends 134 and 132, respectively. Connecting hat members 137 and 138, is middle portion 136. Middle portion 136 is not a substantially tubularly formed member, but instead, a regular “solid” type piece of fabric.

[0031] Finally regarding FIG. 5, each of hat members 137 and 138 have a substantially conically shaped interior 135, into which the person's head will fit. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, hook and loop connectors 140 and 142 are used to secure the non head covering end to the head covering end, so as to help prevent flapping and/or unwinding of the end from around the person's neck.

[0032] It is to be understood that the hook and loop connectors of both embodiments are meant to anticipate any known construction of such hook and loop connectors.

[0033] It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the proceeding description, are efficiently obtained, and since certain changes may be made in the above constructions and methods of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description as shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

[0034] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. 

What is claimed is:
 1. For a person having a head, face, neck and shoulders, a hat and scarf combination garment to be worn similarly to a hat, not a hood, and a scarf, comprising: a fabric member having a length defined by first and second oppositely opposed length defining edges and first and second oppositely opposed shorter edges running between said length defining edges; an opening through said fabric member, created by the connection of said first length defining edge to said second length defining edge; a first end opening located at a first end of said fabric member, sized for receipt therein of a top of said person's head; and a second end opening located at a second, opposite end of said fabric member, also sized for receipt therein of said top of said person's head; wherein either of said first or second end openings may be placed over, and worn upon, said top of said person's head in the manner of a hat, with a remaining portion of said length of said fabric member extending substantially downward from said person's head, in order to be used by said person in the manner of a scarf.
 2. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 1, wherein said connection of said first and second length defining edges of said fabric member, creates a substantially tubularly shaped fabric member.
 3. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 2, wherein said first and second end openings of said substantially tubularly shape fabric member are each substantially tubular in shape.
 4. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 3, wherein said substantially tubular first and second end openings each have a cross-sectional diameter which is larger than a cross-sectional diameter of a middle portion of said substantially tubular fabric member.
 5. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 1, wherein said fabric member may be composed of any known textile, synthetic, or natural material, or any combination thereof.
 6. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 1, wherein said opening through said fabric member, runs entirely through said length of said fabric member.
 7. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 1, further comprising a hook and loop connecting assembly for selectively, releasably securing said first and second end openings together after said hat and scarf combination garment is in place on said top of said person's head and around said person's neck.
 8. For a person having a head, face, neck and shoulders, a hat and scarf combination garment to be worn similarly to a hat, not a hood, and a scarf, comprising: a fabric member having a length defined by first and second oppositely opposed length defining edges and first and second oppositely opposed shorter edges running between said length defining edges; an opening through said fabric member, created by the connection of said first length defining edge to said second length defining edge; a first end opening located at a first end of said fabric member, sized for receipt therein of a top of said person's head; a second end opening located at a second, opposite end of said fabric member, also sized for receipt therein of said top of said person's head; and a hook and loop connecting assembly for selectively, releaseably securing said first and second end openings together after said hat and scarf combination garment is in place on top of said person's head and around said person's neck wherein either of said first or second end openings may be placed over, and worn upon, said top of said person's head in the manner of a hat, with a remaining portion of said length of said fabric member extending substantially downward from said person's head, in order to be used by said person in the manner of a scarf.
 9. For a person having a head, face, neck and shoulders, a hat and scarf combination garment, comprising: a first hat member located at a first end of said combination garment, sized for receipt therein of a top of said person's head; a second hat member located at a second end of said combination garment, also sized for receipt therein of said top of said person's head; and a fabric member having a length and disposed between said first and second hat members; wherein either of said first or second hat members may be placed over, and worn upon, said top of said person's head, with a portion of said length of said fabric member and said other of said first or second hat members not placed over said person's head, extending substantially downward from said person's head, in order to be used by said person in the manner of a scarf.
 10. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 9, wherein said fabric member may be composed of any known textile, synthetic, or natural material, or any combination thereof.
 11. The hat and scarf combination garment of claim 9, further comprising a hook and loop connecting assembly for selectively, releaseably securing portions of said first and second hat members together after said hat and scarf combination garment is in place on said top of said person's head and around said person's neck.
 12. For a person having a head, face, neck and shoulders, a hat and scarf combination garment, comprising: a first hat member located at a first end of said combination garment, sized for receipt therein of a top of said person's head; a second hat member located at a second end of said combination garment, also sized for receipt therein of said top of said person's head; a fabric member having a length and disposed between said first and second hat members; and a hook and loop connecting assembly for selectively, releaseably securing portions of said first and second hat members together after said hat and scarf combination garment is in place on said top of said person's head and around said person's neck; wherein either of said first or second hat members may be placed over, and worn upon, said top of said person's head, with a portion of said length of said fabric member and said other of said first or second hat members not placed over said person's head, extending substantially downward from said person's head, in order to be used by said person in the manner of a scarf.
 13. For a person having a head, face, neck and shoulders, a hat and scarf combination garment to be worn similarly to a hat, not a hood, and a scarf, comprising: a fabric member having a length defined by first and second oppositely opposed length defining edges and first and second oppositely opposed shorter edges running between said length defining edges; a substantially tubularly shaped opening running entirely through said length of said fabric member, created by the connection of said first length defining edge to said second length defining edge; a first substantially tubularly shaped end opening located at a first end of said fabric member, sized for receipt therein of a top of said person's head; a second substantially tubularly shaped end opening located at a second, opposite end of said fabric member, also sized for receipt therein of said top of said person's head; and a hook and loop connecting assembly for selectively, releaseably securing said first and second end openings together after said hat and scarf combination garment is in place on top of said person's head and around said person's neck; wherein either of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped end openings may be placed over, and worn upon, said top of said person's head in the manner of a hat, with a remaining portion of said length of said fabric member extending substantially downward from said person's head, in order to be used by said person in the manner of a scarf.
 14. A method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment having first and second substantially tubularly shaped openings located at opposite ends of a length of said garment by a person having a head, a face, a neck and shoulders, comprising the steps of: pulling either of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped openings over a top of said head of said person; positioning a remaining portion of said length of said garment behind said person's head, in a hanging manner; and wrapping another, shorter portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around at least said neck of said person, in the manner of a scarf.
 15. The method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment of claim 14, said wrapping step further comprising wrapping said another portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around a portion of a lower part of said face of said person.
 16. The method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment of claim 14, further comprising the step of hooking a hook member located at one of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped openings into selectively, releasable connection to a loop member located at the other of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped openings.
 17. A method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment having first and second substantially tubularly shaped openings located at opposite ends of a length of said garment by a person having a head, a face, a neck and shoulders, comprising the steps of: pulling either of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped openings over a top of said head of said person; positioning a remaining portion of said length of said garment behind said person's head, in a hanging manner; wrapping another, shorter portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around at least said neck of said person, in the manner of a scarf; and hooking a hook member located at one of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped openings into selectively, releasable connection to a loop member located at the other of said first or second substantially tubularly shaped openings.
 18. The method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment of claim 17, said wrapping step further comprising wrapping said another portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around a portion of a lower part of said face of said person.
 19. A method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment having first and second hat members located at opposite ends of a length of said garment, by a person having a head, a face, a neck and shoulders, comprising the steps of: pulling either of said first or second hat members over a top of said head of said person; positioning a remaining portion of said length of said garment behind said person's head, in a hanging manner; wrapping another, shorter portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around at least said neck of said person, in the manner of a scarf.
 20. The method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment of claim 19, said wrapping step further comprising wrapping said another portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around a portion of a lower part of said face of said person.
 21. The method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment of claim 19, further comprising the step of hooking a hook member located at one of said first or second hat members into selectively, releasable connection to a loop member located at the other of said first or second hat members.
 22. A method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment having first and second hat members located at opposite ends of a length of said garment, by a person having a head, a face, a neck and shoulders, comprising the steps of: pulling either of said first or second hat members over a top of said head of said person; positioning a remaining portion of said length of said garment behind said person's head, in a hanging manner; wrapping another, shorter portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around at least said neck of said person, in the manner of a scarf, and hooking a hook member located at one of said first or second hat members into selectively, releasable connection to a loop member located at the other of said first or second hat members.
 23. The method of wearing a hat and scarf combination garment of claim 22, said wrapping step further comprising wrapping said another portion of said remaining portion of said length of said garment around a portion of a lower part of said face of said person. 